Year 3 Blog 2022-2023
Summer 2
It has been a busy final half term of the year in Year 3. Violet class showed us how much they had learned this year in a wonderful assembly full of some great acting and singing!
Our topic this half term has been all about energy and where it comes from. We have learned about renewable and nonrenewable forms of energy and the arguments for and against both. We looked at maps of Guiseley and worked out where it would be best to have a wind-farm. We also looked at Owl's Hatch Solar farm in Kent and why Kent is a good place for a solar farm but why some people objected to it. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Magna where we learned lots about different kinds of energy, particularly about the power of wind. We made windmills and blew boats across water.
In science we have learned more about plants and what helps them to grow. We dissected some flowering plants and we know the names of their parts. We are proud of our DT project of making castles using 3D nets.
In French, we have learned how to ask for ice-creams of all different flavours which may come in useful for some people's holidays!
Summer 1
Year 3 have had a fantastic time learning all about the Romans this half term. Through the story ‘Escape from Pompeii’, we immersed ourselves in the ancient city and the destructive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. In English, we wrote a detailed setting description of the volcanic eruption including fronted adverbials to move time along. As historians, we investigated the Roman Empire’s beginnings and how it used its power and wealth to spread across Europe. We also compared the different invasion attempts on Britain by the Romans and what made them successful and unsuccessful. We particularly enjoyed learning about Boudicca and the Celts and why she rebelled against the Romans. Following this, we discovered all of the different ways the Romans were good for Britain including: building roads, sewerage systems, baths and much more. In English, we wrote a balanced argument debating whether the Romans were good for Britain. As Scientists, we learnt about animals including humans and explored muscles, bones and the differences between endoskeletons, exoskeletons and hydrostatic skeletons. We also had a great day celebrating the Kings Coronation by singing the national anthem, making crowns and having a picnic. As Artists, we enjoyed looking at the work of the Japanese artist Kaori Kurihara and created fruit inspired ornaments using clay and different tools to make patterns.
Spring 2
We have had another very busy half term in Year 3. Pink Class had their excellent Egyptian assembly, we celebrated World Book Day, had students visit from Leeds Becket University to teach PE and auditioned and performed for Guiseley’s Got Talent.
We have also learned lots about rivers. In English, we wrote a chapter of a story from ‘Sabryna and the River Spirit’ and a calligram about a river. In geography, we learnt about the journey of a river and labelled rivers in the UK on a map. We particularly looked at the River Wharfe, it’s journey and reasons why it floods.
In science, we looked at famous scientists including Marie Curie and the impact they have had on the world. We have also investigated what all living things have. In DT, we have been looking at seasonal fruits and vegetables from the UK. We made a delicious apple and pear crumble. We then went on to designing and making a vegetable tart. Yum! In maths, we have done lots of work on measuring in centimetres, millimetres and metres and learned how to calculate the perimeter of a shape.
Spring 1
This half term, we have loved being Egyptologists and learning all about the Ancient Egyptians. In English we read a story about the first Pharaoh of Egypt and wrote a character description using lots of descriptive noun phrases. Next, we learnt about mummification by mummifying our own tomatoes and wrote some instructions about how to mummify a body. Then we travelled back in time to 1922 when Howard Carter discovered the lost tomb of Tutankhamun and wrote our own newspaper reports.
We have also had a visit from Cleopatra, written in hieroglyphics, investigated why the pyramids were built and have designed and sewn our very own Egyptian collar.
In Science, we have been learning about Forces and Magnetism. We investigated push and pull forces. We also explored friction and how the speed of a car rolling down a ramp is affected by the type of surface it rolls on. We discovered which objects were magnetic and not and that different poles of the magnet attract and repel.
In Maths, we have been learning how to divide two-digit numbers. We have also learnt how to add and subtract money and how to work out change. A VERY important life skill to have!
Autumn 2
We have learned lots about mountains this half term. We learned about different types of mountains and how they are formed and had a go at making a 3D contour map. The children wrote a non-chronological report about Mount Everest followed by a diary, written in the first person, where we imagined what it would be like to climb Mount Everest. We have compared Ben Nevis in the Grampians to Macchu Picchu in the Andes.
In science we learned all about light. We learned that darkness is the absence of light. We looked at mirrors and reflective materials and the effect they have on light. We studied the sun and learned about how we can protect our eyes from its bright light.
We loved our Christmas performance and the children did an excellent job of learning lots of songs and how to perform to an audience. We all enjoyed our Christmas party and making things to sell on our stall at the Christmas fair.
We hope you all have a lovely Christmas break!
Autumn 1
Year 3 have had a busy half term learning all about The Stone Age! We had a fantastic Stone Age day with Go Wild Outdoors where we learned all about how to make fires without using matches. We built our own Stone Age houses and also had a go at archery. We made a fabulous Stone Age hand art canvas too!
The children have loved doing Stone Age cave paintings, silhouette pictures of Stone Henge and making Stone Age pots in art.
In science we have been learning all about rocks, including the three different types of rocks (sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic), how fossils are formed and how soil is made. The children have helped to plan and conduct a range of experiments to test the permeability of different rocks and to explore the different layers in soil. We did another experiment with sweets and layers of bread to show how fossilisation works.
We have written a character description of a woolly mammoth and retold the story of The Stone Age Boy and also written a poem about life in a Stone Age settlement.
In maths, we have been learning all about place value and we are currently practising using the column method to add and subtract.
